Coley scores late winner as United leapfrog Shaymen
Halifax Town 2, Maidenhead United 3 Danilo Orsi Dadomo netted his second brace in four days, and Josh Coley came off the bench to score a late winner, as Maidenhead United leapt back into the play-off places with a 3-2 win at Halifax Town.
Alan Devonshire’s side made it three wins from their last four league outings after a entertaining, topsy-turvy clash at The Shay. United kept the same side which beat Yeovil Town 4-2 on Tuesday night and it proved a good decision with Orsi-Dadomo firing home twice in the first half to make it four goals in his past two matches.
Halifax twice pegged the Magpies back with goals from Kieran Green and Tom Bradbury, but Coley was in the right place to smash home United’s late winner after a fine save from Sam Johnson.
The visitors made a bright start, with Dan Sparkes particularly lively in the first half. He set up an early chance for Orsi-Dadomo, but the striker wasn’t able to force an effort on goal. Sparkes then forced Johnson into a smart low stop after Ryan Upward was brought down by a strong challenge outside the area.
Halifax also had their chances with King firing a free-kick wide of Taye Ashby-Hammond’s goal in the 18th minute. The hosts then nearly got in on goal in the 23rd minute, but Ashby-Hammond anticipated the danger and nipped in to deny Campbell.
A minute later the Magpies took the lead, Orsi-Dadomo confidently dinking the ball over Johnson from James Comley's pass. .
Green very nearly levelled matters with a strike from distance that whistled just wide of the post on the half-hour, but the Magpies remained on top and should have strengthened their grip on the game, but Sam Barratt could only head Sparkes’ corner at Johnson in the 36th minute.
That miss looked like it might prove costly when Green headed past Ashby-Hammond from inside the six-yard box, but United restored their advantage when James Comley’s corner was diverted into the net by OrsiDadomo in first half injury time after the ball had been headed against the crossbar by Barratt.
The sides traded chances at the start of the second half, with Campbell firing just over the bar on his home debut in the 50th minute and Rohan Ince dragging a volley wide for the Magpies on the hour mark.
The Magpies defence was stretched at times, with AshbyHammond parrying out Campbell’s strike for a corner on 70 minutes, but they found a second equaliser seven minutes later when King’s corner was met by Bradbury whose effort hit the crossbar before crossing the line.
Coley had entered the fray as a 69th minute substitute for Sparkes, and Devonshire switched out Orsi-Dadomo for Josh Kelly for the final eight minutes and injury-time. It helped the visitors grasp back momentum. Barratt whipped in a great cross in the 83rd minute, but no United player could get a telling final touch. But three minutes later they took the lead for the third and final time.
Coley, who had been a threat since coming on, slotted home after his header from a wonderful Barratt cross was initially saved.
Kelly might have capped off another fine performance from the Magpies in injury-time, but he fired the ball over the crossbar. It mattered little as the visitors held on for their ninth win of the campaign.
The Magpies' match at Wealdstone on Tuesday evening was called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Grosvenor Vale.
The Stones also parted company with manager Dean Brennan on Tuesday.